Draw-gear for railway-cars



2' SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. L. HARVEY. DRAW GEAR FOR RAILWAY (JARS.

No. 447,323. Patented Mar. 3, 1891-.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. L.HARVEY.- DRAW GEAR FOR RAILWAY CARS.

No. 447,323. Patented Mar. 3., 1891. Y

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

GEORGE L. HARVEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAW-G EAR FO R RAl LWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,323, dated March 3, 1891.

Application filed June 30, 1890. Serial No. 357,179. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. HARVEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draw-Gears, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in draw-gear for cars, and has for its object to reduce the cost, Weight, and number of parts and to increase the strength and efliciency; and this object I accomplish by substitutingfor the usual draft-sills flat metal plates, which are forged, pressed,-or cast to provide marginal strengthening-flanges, and have their webs offset to provide a pocket for the follower-blocks, between which the buffersprings are confined and to which the shank of the draw-head is secured. These plates are reduced toward their forward ends to provide a shoulder which abuts against the inside of the end sill and a neck which projects beyond the end sill and is upturned to engage its front side, whereby the shocks both in pulling and buffing are transmitted to the end sill.

My improvements are adapted to be used in connection with the standard spring-pocket and draw-head construction, and therefore do not necessitate a reconstruction of these parts.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved draw-gear, the end sill being shown in cross-section and one of the longitudinal sills in side elevation, partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same parts; Fig. 3, a vertical section through the center of the draw-gear. Fig.4 is a perspective view of one of the draftplates detached, and Fig. 5 is an elevation and section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings I have illustrated portions of a frame whose longitudinal body-sills are metal U-beams, each sill consisting of two members A A, and whose end sills each consist of two members B B, said members being slightly separated.

0 represents the floor, D the dead-wood, and E the draw-bar, which, as shown, has the J anney form of head and a round shank. To the rearend of this shank is applied the usual follower-blocks vF F and the spring G, and the follower-blocks and spring are inclosed by the usual strap H. The difficulty encoun tered heretofore has been to so mount or attach these parts as to prevent their being knocked out by the shocks of coupling and buffing, and to remedy these defects is the principal object of my invention. This I do by providing a draft-connection which takes its bearings directly upon the end sill of the car and which comprises in the preferred form of construction two metal plates which have integrally formed therewith angular marginal flanges to impart strength, an offset portion to provide a pocket or bearings for the follower-blocks, and a reduced portion to form a shoulder to abut against the inner side of the end sill, andaneck which projects beneath the sill and having a hooked outer end to engage the front side of the end sill of the car. These plates are adapted to be bolted or otherwise secured to the longitudinal sills, the bolts having no work to perform except to sustain the Weight of the plates,\vhile the shocks are sustained by the end sill. The form of these plates is shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Each has a web or body portion I, with a right-angled marginal flange 7 and an offset portion I, pressed out to provide a pocket to receive and furnish bearings for the follower-blocks. The front end of this plate is reduced or drawn down to form ashoulder I", which takesabearing on the inner side of the end sill, and a neck J, which is adapted to pass beneath the end sill and is turned up at the outer end to furnish a shoulder j, which takes a bearing on the front side of the end sill. The web of the plate may be perforated for the passage of bolts or rivets K, by which it is secured to the members of the longitudinal sill, and its'top flange may also be apertured for the securement of the strap L, having a hooked end Z, and which strap projects over the top of the end sill and its hook is engaged with the upper front edge thereof, the tie-bolt M securing said strap with the neck J of the plate, and thus securely anchoring the draft-plate to the end sills and distributing the strain thereon. The flange at the bottom of the plate and at the sides of the pocket may be apertured for the securement there; with of a flat strap N, which forms a support or way on which the follower-blocks slide.

To decrease the weight and at the same time impart additional strength to the draftplates, I prefer to arch them, as at O in the drawings, the legs of the arch springingfrom the lower corners of the pockets. It will be understood that two of these plates are employed, being secured each to one of the longitudinal sill members and separated sufficientlyfor the reception of the spring-pocket.

The utility of this construction arises chiefly from the employment of a draft-connection which has integral portions engaged directly with the end sill, so that the strains and shocks of service are transmitted to the end sill instead of mediately through fastening-bolts.

I do not of course limit myinvention to the precise form of draft-plate herein shown, as structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopeof my invention, the gist of which resides in such a construction of the draft'plate as. enables its direct engagement with the end sill and pro vides also an in tegrally-formed bearing for the ends of the followenblocks I claim- 1. In a draw-gear, a draft-connection comprising flanged plates secured to the sides of the longitudinal sill or sills ol' the car, and having an offset portion projected below said sills to provide a pocket to receive the fol lower-blocks and connected parts, substantially as described.

2. In a draw-gear, a draft-connection comprising plates, each having a bearing on the end sill and on the vertical sides of the longitudinal sill or sills, an extension adapted to project beyond the end sill and engage the front thereof,and an offset portion to furnish bearings for the follower-blocks, substantially as described.

In a draw-gear, a draft-connection comprising two metallic plates, each having a web portion and strengthening-fianges, a shoulder to engage the inner side of the end sill, a reduced portion to project beneath the end sill and upturned to engage the front thereof, and an oft-set portion in the web to provide bearings for the follower-blocks, substantially as described.

at. In a draw-gear, a draft-connection comprising two draft-plates, each consisting of a web with marginal strengthenlug-flanges, a reduced extension thereof to project beneath the end sill and upturned to engage the same, a strap secured to the top of the plate and hooked for engagement with the end sill, and an offset portion in the web to provide bearings for the follower-blocks, substantially as described.

5. In a drmr-gear, a draft-connection comprising two draft-plates, each consisting of a web with marginal strengthening-flanges, a reduced extension thereof to project beneath the end sill and upturned to engage the same, a strap secured to the top of the plate and hooked also for engagement with the end sill, and an oilset portion in the web to provide bearings for the follower-blocks, said offset portion having its lower edge arched and a strap connecting the lower points of the arch to provide a way whereon the follower-blocks slide, substantially as described.

GEORGE Ii. HARVEY.

Witnesses:

O. C. LINTI-IICUM, FREDERICK (J. GoonwIN. 

